Creative Capital: Georges Doriot and the Birth of Venture Capital

by Spencer E. Ante

Overview

Venture capitalists are the handmaidens of innovation. Operating in the background, they provide the fuel needed to get fledgling companies off the ground—and the advice and guidance that helps growing companies survive their adolescence.

In Creative Capital, Spencer Ante tells the compelling story of the enigmatic and quirky man—Georges Doriot—who created the venture capital industry. The author traces the pivotal events in Doriot's life, including his experience as a decorated brigadier general during World War II; as a maverick professor at Harvard Business School; and as the architect and founder of the first venture capital firm, American Research and Development. It artfully chronicles Doriot's business philosophy and his stewardship in startups, such as the important role he played in the formation of Digital Equipment Corporation and many other new companies that later grew to be influential and successful.

An award-winning Business Week journalist, Ante gives us a rare look at a man who overturned conventional wisdom by proving that there is big money to be made by investing in small and risky businesses. This vivid portrait of Georges Doriot reveals the rewards that come from relentlessly pursuing what-if possibilities—and offers valuable lessons for business managers and investors alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781422101223
Publisher:	Harvard Business Review Press
Publication date:	03/11/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	299
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.40(h) x (d)

About the Author

Spencer Ante is an editor at Business Week, where he has written many cover stories and received awards for excellence in reporting. He has also written and reported for The New York Times, Salon, Wired, Spin, Business 2.0, The Industry Standard, TheStreet.com, and other publications.

What People are Saying About This

Fred Wilson

" . . . you should all go check it out."--(Fred Wilson, Managing Partner of Flatiron Partners and Union Square Ventures, on his A VC blog)

Editorial Reviews

This book will appeal to anyone interested in the origins of venture capital, why its centre of gravity moved from the Boston area to the west coast, or what it takes to succeed as a VC investor.

The Financial Times

Richly researched with the cooperation of Doriot's surviving colleagues . . .

The Wall Street Journal

An ultimately satisfying biography of Georges F. Doriot, the transplanted Frenchman who is often called the father of V.C.

The New York Times

Doriot "democratized finance," Ante says. "Anyone, anywhere who had a great idea could approach the company.

The Boston Globe